herd
gb/hˈɚd/ us/hˈɚd/
A2
English
~ 4700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
group of animals
A group of the same kind of animals living or moving together.
Usage pattern:
a herd of [animals]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'herd' for people in neutral contexts; in modern English, that is usually metaphorical or negative when used for humans.
Synonyms
flock (Used mainly for birds and some small animals, not large mammals like cows.)
|
pack (Usually used for groups of dogs, wolves, or similar predators.)
Antonyms
individual (Refers to a single animal rather than a group.)
Collocations
herd of cattle
|herd of elephants
|herd of sheep
|herd grazing
|herd migration
Themes
nature
|farming
|wildlife
|animals
Examples
- A herd of elephants crossed the river at dawn.
- The farmer led his herd of cows back to the barn.
- We saw a large herd of deer in the meadow.
- The herd moved slowly across the plain.
- Lions often target weak animals in a herd.
Learner examples
- The herd of cows is in the field.
- We saw a herd of sheep on the road.
- A herd of elephants walked past us.
- The herd eats grass together.
Verb
A2
action
2
to gather/move animals
To bring animals together and move them as a group.
Usage pattern:
to herd [animals] [somewhere]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'herd' with 'heard' due to pronunciation, but they have different meanings and spellings.
Synonyms
drive (In farming, means to move animals forward, often over a distance.)
Antonyms
scatter (To cause animals to move apart rather than staying in a group.)
Collocations
herd cattle
|herd sheep
|herd goats
Themes
farming
|wildlife
|animals
|work
Examples
- The shepherd herded the sheep into the pen.
- They herded the cattle toward the waterhole.
- Farmers often herd their animals before nightfall.
- He herded the goats up the hill.
Learner examples
- The farmer herded the cows into the barn.
- She herded the sheep into the field.
- They herded the goats down the road.
Noun
B2
entity
3
group of conforming people
A crowd of people who act the same way and do not think for themselves.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this use is figurative and can carry a negative meaning when referring to people.
Synonyms
crowd (A large number of people gathered together, without implying lack of independent thought.)
|
mob (A large crowd, often angry or disorderly.)
Antonyms
individuals (People acting with independence rather than as part of an unthinking group.)
Collocations
follow the herd
|herd mentality
Themes
society
|psychology
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Many investors acted like a herd and sold their shares.
- She refused to follow the herd and chose a different career path.
- The herd mentality can lead to bad decisions.
Learner examples
- I do not want to follow the herd.
- The crowd moved like a herd.
- He thinks for himself and does not join the herd.
Verb
B1
action
4
to gather/move people
To bring people together and move them as one group, sometimes without giving them choice.
Usage pattern:
to herd [people] [somewhere]
Synonyms
marshal (To organize and move people in an orderly way, often with more planning and control.)
Antonyms
disperse (To cause people to spread out rather than stay together.)
Collocations
herd passengers
|herd children
Themes
society
|movement
|communication
|law
Examples
- Security herded the fans out of the stadium.
- Teachers herded the students onto the bus.
- The tourists were herded through the museum quickly.
Learner examples
- The guard herded people out of the building.
- She herded the children into the classroom.
- They herded us into a small room.
Grammar
Dictionary form
herd
IPA
GB/hˈɚd/
US/hˈɚd/
Syllables & stress
herd (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (herd)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: herd
- Plural: herds
Verb
- Base: herd
- 3rd Person Singular: herds
- Present Participle: herding
- Past: herded
Word family
Forms
herds
noun
herding
verb
herded
verb
Related words
herder
noun
Advanced or less common
herdsman
noun
Expressions
follow the herd
1/fˈɑloʊ ðə hˈɚd/
idiom
copy most people's actions
To do what most other people are doing, without thinking about it yourself.
Examples
- Don't just follow the herd when making investments.
- She prefers to make her own decisions instead of following the herd.
herd mentality
1/hˈɚd mɛntˈælɪti/
fixed phrase
group conformity behavior
When people in a group think and act like others without making their own decisions.
Examples
- Herd mentality can influence how markets behave.
- The sudden sell-off was driven more by herd mentality than by real economic problems.
- The fashion trend spread quickly because of herd mentality.
- Social media can create a herd mentality, where users copy what others post without questioning it.